Is this Shamus Cartridge real or a fake?

[+slx]

Is this a real Shamus cartridge?

 

 

 

So far I have only seen the ones in red translucent plastic like this

 

 

 

but the label on this one looks the same.

[a8isa1]

but the label on this one looks the same.

Actually, the label has a different street address.

 

I don't know if the cartridge is genuine.

[Tempest]

Both addresses are correct. Like most companies they moved around a bit. I'd guess that the top one is a very late release.

[Blues76]

do you have a screen shot of this game? I don't remember ever playing this one.

[bfollett]

do you have a screen shot of this game? I don't remember ever playing this one.

 

You can see screen shots or download the game for use in an emulator from here:

 

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-shamus_4613.html

 

Bob

[Blues76]

a bit like montezuma (scale down version)

[Android8675]

Holy hell, not even close, it's like berzerk, but there's puzzle elements involved and it's quite difficult. And you can only fire in the direction you're moving.

 

Seamus II was even harder. I played the hell out of both of those games, don't think I ever finished either.

[Goochman]

Shamus I is a classic that I never finished - got to the Red level but its a hard game.

 

Shamus II is alot easier IMHO - I could finish that without a problem.

 

Both are alot of fun but alot different in gameplay. Shamus is def worth a shot. You need to find the keys to open the doors to take you to the next level. Each level is a bit smaller but harder. There are no save states so you have to restart once you lose - that made it tough.

[TXG/MNX]

I only know the red version I got one myself the other one looks not original maybe when you check the pcb if it's factory made or homemade can determine if it's original ?

[Tempest]

I only know the red version I got one myself the other one looks not original maybe when you check the pcb if it's factory made or homemade can determine if it's original ?

It's not a fake, just a different variation. I wouldn't go ruining it by cracking it open.

[+slx]

Thanks to all for the tips. I don't have it in hand but it's offered and I'd only buy it if it's genuine. I scanned the cartridge list and there seem to be other Synapse titles using this grey housing so I'd assume it's genuine.

 

As for the game, it was my top favourite single-player Atari 800 game when I was young. I had a disc version but would like to add the cart. It was described as "like Berzerk" when reviewed back in the 80s but the only things in common with Berzerk are the maze theme, electrocuting walls and a kind of (stun-only-but can't kill) "boss" appearing in every room after some time. What makes it quite different from Berzerk is that the rooms are not random but form a defined maze you have to navigate collecting keys (max. 3 per level as far as I recall) to progress in the maze. The level has black, blue, green and red levels with speed increasing every level. If you reach the final room on the red level and shoot the "Shadow" you get a rainbow screen and return to the black level, but I think at a higher speed.

 

I used to play Shamus for hours on end and managed two complete tours of the maze and then until the blue for a total of some 120K points. I highly doubt that my aging reflexes will ever allow me to repeat that. i managed to map the first two levels (from memory, no pause function and no friend who could play it beyond blue In today's language Shamus would probably qualify as a third-person-shooter

[bfollett]

For those so inclined to cheat. The disable collisions options of the emulators makes it rather easy to see the whole game if you choose. I just tried it. With playfield collisions turned off, you can even walk through walls and exit in any direction from any screen. The only catch is you have to re-enable sprite collisions when you want to pick up an item, so there's a risk of getting shot when you do this.

 

Bob

[+Larry]

Quite a game in its day! I started with a cassette version that I bought for my 800, then when I got an 810, I made a disk load version from it. (Single load, IIRC, so it wasn't really hard.) Played it for hours -- hard, but addicting.

 

-Larry

[carmel_andrews]

Wasn't their a similar game to shamus done by Atari in Germany called Nadral, it had a spot of software based speech syntheseis which played each time you lost a life (it was in german so i dunno the translation)

[+slx]

Nadral was "similar" as it also followed the "maze with creatures who don't like you" theme but was far slower and IMHO less playable, but as stated above, I am biased towards Shamus

[+CharlieChaplin]

Wasn't their a similar game to shamus done by Atari in Germany called Nadral, it had a spot of software based speech syntheseis which played each time you lost a life (it was in german so i dunno the translation)

 

Afaik,

in Nadral it was right after you lost a life and started again, the speech was / is "Spieler Eins, los!" which translates into "Player one, go !"

Another similar game (but much simpler) is "Destination unknown" by Frank T. Wittenmayer, alas it has a lot of bugs - nevertheless one can reach the end and err, well, then re-start with a higher difficulty... http://atari.fandal.cz/detail.php?files_id=1716

or: http://www.mushca.com/f/atari/index.php?dl=086

 

-Andreas Koch.

[Atari8bitCarts]

This game is in my top 5 games I loved, and still do, playing.

[Atari8bitCarts]

Is this a real Shamus cartridge?

 

 

 

So far I have only seen the ones in red translucent plastic like this

 

 

 

but the label on this one looks the same.

Because of your location I can assume:

It looks like the export version, or they had a distributor make it.

There have been many of these on eBay lately.

Different but you get the idea

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 171066184889

 

Austraila seems to have a lot of these.

[R4ngerM4n]

AFAIK the grey case carts are the early releases.

Edited July 24, 2013 by R4ngerM4n

[carlsson]

I suppose browsing some old computer magazines might help determine the order of addresses, assuming Synapse themselves advertised much or had resellers do the advertising. If someone would have taken the measures to counterfeit the silvery label and everything, one would assume they copied the address verbatim as well unless they wanted people to detect it being not genuine...